Trump on Trial (Trump indicted for a fourth time in Georgia. Expands his record of most indictments by a former president)

[Fergasun]

Wait.  Is Trump arguing that Stormy made it all up?

[Califan007 The Constipated]

5 minutes ago, Fergasun said:

Wait.  Is Trump arguing that Stormy made it all up?

 

 

More like his attorneys are trying to make the jury doubt her truthfulness--and thus not take her at her word on anything--more so than reach the conclusion that she made the whole thing up.

[TheGreatBuzz]

 

 

[mcsluggo]

On 5/3/2024 at 5:02 PM, China said:

"Losing all credibility": Trump's hush money lawyer the latest to torch his reputation for nothing

 

Going into Donald Trump's Manhattan criminal trial for fraud and election interference regarding "hush money" payments to an adult film actress, the world of legal experts worried that, this time, Trump might mount a strong defense. Unlike many of the lawyers he used in his civil trials, who are widely regarded as MAGA hacks, Trump hired Todd Blanche to beat the 34 felony charges brought by New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Blanche, as the Washington Post reported, "previously worked at the prestigious federal prosecutor’s office in Manhattan," even working alongside Bragg before going to a private law firm. And as Andrew Rice of New York magazine explained, Blanche has long drawn accolades from "the lawyers who know him best" in New York. They say things like, "He’s an extraordinary trial lawyer" and "very good at reading people."

 

Before the trial started in April, Blanche had, in fact, deftly maneuvered in many ways to delay various Trump trials, a strategy likely employed out of a deep understanding that Trump is unlikely to do well once a jury sees evidence of his alleged crimes. But now that he's actually trying a case in the court of Judge Juan Merchan in Manhattan, much of Blanche's defense strategy seems puzzling at best and downright foolish in many cases. Sometimes it's hard not to wonder if he's trying to alienate the judge and jury that hold his client's fate in their hands. 

 

During opening statements, for instance, Blanche kept openly flouting the judicial restrictions. Prosecutors successfully objected more than half a dozen times, which is highly unusual during opening statements — and could turn a jury against the defendant. Meanwhile, Blanche struggles to control Trump, who doesn't just sleep through much of the trial but keeps pulling out his phone, against courtroom rules. Under Blanche's leadership, another defense lawyer, Emil Bove, pretended he had a damning document to present a witness, but it was just a bunch of words that had no bearing on the case. This is a classic Trump trick, as he often uses blank pieces of paper to pretend to have "evidence" he does not have. But in court, it backfired on Blanche's team and the judge called them out in front of the jury. 

 

But it was really the battle over Trump's refusal to obey the judge's gag order that exposed how much Blanche seems unmoored from his past as a respected, professional litigator. Rather than do the smart thing and tell his client to knock it off, Blanche beclowned himself in court, trying to argue that because Trump was quoting a Fox News video instead of using his own words, it didn't count. To compound the bad faith of the argument, it turned out that Trump made up part of the quote. 

 

"You're losing all credibility with the court," Merchan exasperatedly explained. 

 

Blanche's bad choices in trial largely seem driven by a need to placate his famously narcissistic client, who believes belligerence and lies are a superior strategy to more well-regarded tactics like being diplomatic, showing respect, and staying within the facts. Trump is even reportedly insisting that Blanche stick to the ridiculous story that a sexual encounter with Stormy Daniels never happened, a claim so preposterous it could make the jury assume everything else the defense says is a lie. 

 

Despite sacrificing so much of his reputation to defend Trump, however, Blanche is reportedly learning the same lesson everyone who backs Trump learns: He rewards loyalty by spitting in your face. As the New York Times reported Tuesday, Trump has been complaining constantly about Blanche behind closed doors. He whines that Blanche "has not been following his instructions closely, and has been insufficiently aggressive." Trump wants Blanche to "attack witnesses, attack what the former president sees as a hostile jury pool, and attack the judge."

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

 

its almost like commentators don't recognize/won't acknowledge/fail to remember that the Trump team isn't actually arguing a court case, they are arguing a media blitz in the Maga-court-of-opinion, in an arena where a captured "media" will pick and choose, filter, edit and whitewash the content to portray whatever team Oompah Loompa wants portrayed.   The Team knows that it can't win the case, Trump is guilty as **** (the team knows... but who knows what the retard Oompah Loompa himself understands) but they CAN use it as a megaphone to help broadcast some messages that they want pinned on the barn wall by their media piggies....  

[hail2skins]

https://www.macon.com/opinion/article288425227.html

[mcsluggo]

1 hour ago, PleaseBlitz said:

 

It is not clear that a President can pardon himself.  It's never been attempted before, and permitting it would make the President effectively above the law if they can engage in criminal acts and just pardon themselves.  

 

you think there is a snowball's chance that THIS scrotus would stop him....?    

[Fan since a Fetus]

I don’t get it. This guy has destroyed the media left nd right. Attacks them constantly. He doesn’t like anyone except the person he is using in the moment, then throws them away. What does everyone do? Treat him fairly nicely. The media is acting like all of this is normal. It is not ****ing normal and he should be hung for trying to overthrow our government. 
 

im not like some of y’all. I think he has a tremendous shot to be our next president with one of his **** head kids after that or Laura. If he becomes president we might as well change our name to the United States of Trump. Actually, that’s too nice of a name. He’ll probably call it Super Duper Trump Country. 
 

this whole “if they can go after Trump” blah blah blah…….yeah, they go after the little people all the ****ing time. Hell, they shoot the brown people. But, watch your backs. If they can go after Trump for doing something illegal then they can come after you for doing something illegal…..except, you’ll see jail time or be shot where as he won’t. 

[88Comrade2000]

1 hour ago, Fergasun said:

Wait.  Is Trump arguing that Stormy made it all up?

And yet he paid her $130,000 to cover it up.

[Simmsy]

1 hour ago, Califan007 The Constipated said:

 

 

More:

 

Trump's lawyer Necheles: You've been in over 200 sex films?

Stormy Daniels: Including comps.

Necheles: What?

Daniels: Compilations.

Necheles: So you have experience in making up fake stories about sex?

Daniels: The sex is real. That's why it's not a B movie.

Necheles: Now you have a story about having sex with President Trump, right?

Stormy Daniels: If I was making it up it would have been a lot better.

Necheles: You make money working in the sex clubs-

Daniels: I work in strip clubs, big difference.

 

 

 

 

Hopefully the jury heard far more than what little I posted up there lol...

 

What the text doesn't show is that the lawyer questioning Stormy is being highly aggressive and its visibly upsetting the jury (according to lawyers and press in the court room). Make of that what you will.

[LadySkinsFan]

Frankly, I believe the witness because she's correcting the false impressions that Trump's lawyer is using to try and dirty her up and make it look like she's a liar. 

 

Real world example with a lawyer I was interviewing with for a proposal job: he says I see you have a BA degree. I say no, I have two associates degrees. He reads off the resume sent by my agency which wrongly lists BA English. I brought a copy of my own resume that lists my AA & AAS degrees. I got the job because I impressed him with my truthfulness. 

 

I think the jury believes the witness because they know that Trump is trying to discredit her in place of Trump testifying. Because he says he didn't have sex with her. We all know that he did, just like we all know he incited the insurrection. He's a known liar even when he lies in public.

[Captain Wiggles]

So Trump lawyers are using the Marion Barry defense? 🤪

[@DCGoldPants]

He wanted his lawyers to be more aggressive when they probably wanted to be more subtle and just make Daniels unbelievable. So, with a client they can't manage and one the judge told them to get under control. This was probably their only option to make him happy today. He probably thinks this AM went really well for him when I personally made his side look erratic and unsure what they were trying to accomplish. How many different ways can they insult the defendant in front of their client? That was all they did. 

[Califan007 The Constipated]

 

 

 

[Fergasun]

I do wonder what the point of going into so many details with respect to Stormy were.  I guess Trump does have the chance to take the witness stand and testify in his defense (ie. "I never had sex with that woman!").  So, I suppose they could argue some of the details were necessary.  

 

Could you imagine them cross-examining Trump?  
"Now, Mr. Trump, I remind you, that you are under oath.  Did you make Ms. Daniels spank you with a magazine that had your face on the cover?"  

 

There's no way they would put him on the stand; but you know he wants to testify in his defense.  

[@DCGoldPants]

1 minute ago, Fergasun said:

I do wonder what the point of going into so many details with respect to Stormy were.  I guess Trump does have the chance to take the witness stand and testify in his defense (ie. "I never had sex with that woman!").  So, I suppose they could argue some of the details were necessary.  

 

Could you imagine them cross-examining Trump?  
"Now, Mr. Trump, I remind you, that you are under oath.  Did you make Ms. Daniels spank you with a magazine that had your face on the cover?"  

 

There's no way they would put him on the stand; but you know he wants to testify in his defense.  

 

His lawyers asked to have the gag order changed so he could go out and respond to her testimony. The State said "he can do that right here in court" and the Judge agreed.

 

He wants to respond so badly, but they all know if he gets on the stand, it's going to be ugly and they will likely get him to contradict himself and lash out in front of the jury.

[Larry]

They know that he can't speak three sentences without saying something that's provably false.  

[Ball Security]

The prosecution is no longer going to call Karen McDougal.

 

Defense wants gag order lifted so Trump can reply to Daniels’ testimony. Denied.

 

Motion for mistrial: Denied.

 

Rough day at the office for White Todd and Nesheles.

[Fergasun]

He can technically go up there, state, "I did not have sex with that woman" and then plead the 5th on everything else asked - right?  

Why doesn't he do that? 

[@DCGoldPants]

 

 

 

[China]

So apparently Trump's lawyers again asked for a mistrial (which was denied) and also asked for modification of the gag order so that Trump could respond to Stormy Daniels.  That was also denied, as one of the prosecuting attorneys put it:  "Let's not pretend that this is going to be some high minded discourse."

 

I think her testimony got under his skin.  Good.

[Larry]

18 minutes ago, Fergasun said:

He can technically go up there, state, "I did not have sex with that woman" and then plead the 5th on everything else asked - right?  

Why doesn't he do that? 

 

(Not a lawyer).  

 

1)  Yes, I believe that's true.  

 

2)  Doing so involves him invoking the 5th, possibly hundreds of times, in front of the jury.  

 

3)  And if he says "I did not have sex with that woman", then he can be cross examined, on that topic.  And cannot invoke the 5th.  

 

[Fergasun]

@China

Trump is free to respond to her in the trial.  That was why the mistrial was denied. 

 

A good lawyer would have recommend to just stipulate that the sex happened. That avoids her testimony.  Trump did not do that (I would bet his lawyer recommended).  Because they argued the sex didn't happen, she had to discuss it.

[LadySkinsFan]

I bet the prosecution hopes that Trump testifies. He can't tell the truth, then perjury charges. Everyone knows he lies, it's in the public every day.

[@DCGoldPants]

25 minutes ago, LadySkinsFan said:

I bet the prosecution hopes that Trump testifies. He can't tell the truth, then perjury charges. Everyone knows he lies, it's in the public every day.

 

Also, they'd go up and talk about business stuff in detail to get to the hush money details. Probably contradict what someone who worked for him said, or something that is of record. Then that's where he would dig himself a fat hole.

[stoshuaj]

6 hours ago, Califan007 The Constipated said:

 

 

More like his attorneys are trying to make the jury doubt her truthfulness--and thus not take her at her word on anything--

if that’s the case, couldn’t Mrs Trump be compelled to testify as to the validity of some of Ms. Clifford’s statements?

 

If nothing else, I would be compelled to think that would be worth an entire bucket of popcorn.